Sacramento daily record-union., 1887-08-15

ciareS ne wOuld unoer no consideration
tell lie to shield himself II pleaded guilty
to the horse stealing, and admitted the
stage robberies both times. / never got a
new trial. | once was taken from the State
Prison to Marysville to act as witness in a
case. / broke out of the Marysville city
prison and while an escape robbed another
stage"
President Boggs asked some more uues-
tons about his stage robbing career, when
Brown spoke up with much warmth "Am
on trial again. / was tried once tor that.
| was here eight years and never punished
l did escape, and (pointing to Captain
Chambers) that man lied to me. | don't
want to implicate anyone else. Chambers
hates me. He asked me to be stool
pigeon for him and refused. took Pock-
mans part and he hates me for it.r
President Boggs-This has gone quite
far enough. 1 will not permit it to 90 any
farther.
Brown-Well. 1 would like to make a
statement. Iasked Mr.. Murphy to see Mr..
Boggs for me, and Chambers came and
cursed me for it. He abuses me, and
don't feel kindly toward him. l have
nothing against any other officer. Pock-
man put me on the gate, a trustworthy
position, and Mr.. Murphy put me in the
kitchen.
President Boggs-Well. that will do.
Director Filcher-Yes. we have got the
salient points.
Brown was returned to his cell.
President Boggs-Yes, l think we have
heard all the salient points necessary. Such
testimony should not be permitted. He is
vicious and unmanageable. He will steal
horses, rob stages break jails, prisons and
stab fenow-citizens, yet he would have us
understand that he is quite truthful.
BROWNS VICTIM TEsTIFIRs.
Dick Reeves, Browns victim in last Sun
day mornings stabbing. testified: II have
oeen here over two years for burglary in
Ine tI second degree from Sacramento county.
They Claim | stole diamonds and iewelry
at photographers Office there. NV true
name Is Oscar l.. Wilson, and | am bv
trade brakeman or railroad fireman. +
worked some months at the quarry work
shops, then got sick and was put in con-
hnement. l was punished twenty one days
with bread and water for sending letter
out to one OF my friends against the rules
OF the prison. July 10th last l got the
privilege OF the corridor. | had the same
food and clothing in solitary confinement
as before. | can't call it solitary. for thew
have place to keep us away from the 9TH
ers. L must complain of i'll treatment since
came here, for the Captain would not let
me speak to him. DR.. Durant, Captains
Murphy, Cassidy and PAUL all treat me
right and | like them, but | could never
teel kindly towards Chambers. Once when
l handed letter out addressed to the
Warden, Chambers tore off the enyelop.
saying: Make that letter right. I'll show
you who is Warden of this prison Again
he swore at me and threatened to break nv
head" After witness described the circum-
stances of Tommy Browns assault upon
him, he said the man who gets detailed to
work between the gates and belongs to the
prison aristocracy, must be schemer
against his fellow prisoners. and Brown
must be stool pigeon"
In reply to query of Captain Chambers,
Reeves expressed the belief that Brown was
really stool-pigeon.
WHAT THE OFFICERS SAY.
Captain Chambers was the first officer
called to rebut statements made by tbe
prisoners. Convict Tommy Brown, said
the witness, was among the third batch of
prisoners transferred from San Quentin.
He was put between the gates and did good
service there. His general conduct was
good when asked to be relieved from gate
duty. When he had about eighteen
months more to serve he asked me to pre-
sent his case to the Board for a recon-
mendation for pardon, saying he knew
his record had been bad, and that Wells.
Fargo & Co., whom he had robbed several
times: would oppose his pardon, told him
frankly 1t was of no use, but agreed to
give him light work for the remainder of
his time: He then made his attempt to es-
cape, l believe his policy is TO get trans
ferred to San Quentin. When he saws
| cd haI 1.a -,
falsehood. l was told by Captain AulI
that Brown is very desperate man. who
would take any chances to escape, and
must not be allowed near a morse as he
would jump on him and ride off through
the lines
AS to Reeves, he is an opium fiend in
whom we had much trouble in breaking
him OF the habit when he came from San
Quentin. He has a girl with whom he
has been living and with whom he wanted
to correspond; but we denied him the
privilege, because in the end no good
would come to either of them. He SNUG
gied letters out and was punished. | DEFY
anyone to prove that l ever used an un-
kind word to ether of these convicts in nv
life. All prisoners are allowed TO write
two letters month-a good and neces-
Sary rule. | bring the letters to the
Warden McComb-and that officer is more
liberal than in most best regulated prisons
allows the prisoner to have his letter
mailed. In most cases letters are allowed
once In every five weeks. When the Pc
tltlon for Browns pardon was to have
been offered, protest was made by Wells.
Fargo d Co., saying there was great
danger in releasing him.
Lieutenant Murphy of the guard testified:
We are always very careful about the food.
have been miner and have lived on
beans, and | believe these men live better
In this prison than the average prospector
or sheep-herder, who gets bacon and bread.
Here the beans are well cooked. The cook.
ing begins at o'clock in the morning. and
there is fresh supply every day. | have
offered to allow Brown TO have exercise
often, but he would not take it. Every
solitary prisoner has the privilege of using
the faucet for fresh water, washing. etc.
Brown offered me the other day. if | would
let him be detailed by the dog g-kennel, to
stand by the officers and testify in any way
we wanted: The stool-pigeon is a
convict who is willing TO side with the Off.
GERS. He is looked upon with scorn by his
fellow prisoners. He has told all sorts of
falsehoods. Of course he wanted to be put
to work near the kennel. in order to get {,
horse and escape. Every prisoner here
who can't get out bear i'll will against some
one they believe has opposed them. They
suspicion the Directors of the Board if they
do not recommend them for pardon. and
hate the officers if they do not treat them
as they wish.
Visiting Physician Durant testified /:
Brown is an old prisoner and like MANY
others in confinement has many imaginary
ailments. He sent hastily for me from
Folsom, and said he had swallowed tack
and might die. l found no such symptoms
in his case, or anything but nervousness.
He acted like q woman with hysteria.
Tommy Brown was companionable fell
low, and his romantic career made him
something of favorite. Therefore he was
well treated. Many prisoners abuse the
privilege of calling for the doctor when
there is nothing the matter with them.
The witness refuted all the statements of
Dick Reeves, showing the groundlessness
of the convict's charges. Reeves had been
under the doctors care for some time He
would often watch other prisoners act
against their welfare, and often engage in
food to his fellows.
Captain PAUL, the turnkey in charge of
the prison solitary corridor, related several
circumstances in the cases of Brown and
Reeves, denying statements by both with
reference to the provisions made for the
care of prisoners.
SOME THEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.